HURRICANE -- The city of Hurricane will pay its bills, but following a heated special meeting of City Council on Monday night, a local public relations executive who was in the audience says it's time for the city to go into "damage control mode."

"This city has worked so hard to establish a positive image; it is sad that image can be destroyed by one negative meeting," said Jeffrey Barnes, CEO of the Teays Valley public relations firm Barnes Agency, who attended the meeting to represent the board of directors of Hurricane Little League.

The special meeting was called by Mayor Scott Edwards after council members voted last week to not pay the city's bills. Edwards, who was on a business trip, did not attend that meeting, and Councilman Brian Ellis was absent due to illness.

Council members Lana Call, Don Chaney and Patty Hager voted against paying the bills, saying they wanted more information from the mayor's office about where, exactly that money is going.

Recorder Linda Gibson, who was acting mayor in Edwards' absence, and Council member Reggie Billups voted to pay the bills last week.

Following heated exchanges on Monday night, council voted unanimously to pay those bills.

"It is embarrassing that this council would vote not to pay the city's bills," Edwards said at the special meeting. "All items in question are within our budget, we are in the best financial position we have ever been. We have cash flow; we are able to be involved with our children and our senior citizens for the first time. Yet, in the absence of myself and Councilman Ellis, you three council members," Edwards paused, and corrected himself saying, "Councilman Chaney has called me on several occasions, but you two councilwomen," pointing at Hager and Call, "who won't come to City Hall for anything other than council meetings, nor do you call department heads with questions, came here last Monday and realized you were the majority and messed up the city.

"After the meeting last week, Councilwoman Hager talked to (City Manager) Ben Newhouse and got all the answers to her questions," the Mayor emphasized and repeated, "after the meeting." Edwards said the main question was about the concession stand in city park, and he repeated Hager's report that she had never actually visited the park to see the concession stand that has been under construction for a year.

"What you have done," continued Edwards, "is political grandstanding."

He called on Call and Hager to resign their council seats, but both declined, saying they will carry out the service for which they were elected.

Call also countered that political grandstanding is exactly what Edwards was engaging in by dominating the floor during the special meeting. She said all she is requesting is more transparency in city finances.

Edwards then accused Call, Hager and Chaney of breaking the state's open meetings law by meeting in private prior to last week's scheduled City County meeting.

"Under the Open Government Proceedings Act, it is against the law for two or more elected members to get together to discuss matters unless it is open to the public."

"We were just discussing that concession stand," Call responded.

"You've just admitted to breaking the law," Edwards said.

Community members, about 75 of whom attended the meeting, were then invited to speak. Several expressed anger or disappointment at council's action.

Resident Claude Nelon called for the voluntary resignation of Call, Chaney and Hager. "We just don't need this. Do you not have any self-respect or respect for your neighbors or our city?"

Former City Councilman David Boyles said the last meeting was "out of line," and Hurricane Police Capt. Joe Sisk said council has "hurt city morale."

Chaney, who had asked several times during the meeting for speaking time equal to what the mayor had taken, said only one side of the story was being heard.

"The city said they no longer wanted 'yes men,'" he said. "There's no harm here."

Chaney said the mayor's claims that council's vote had hurt the city's credit were false, and he read off a list of bill due dates all falling in mid to late November.

"Don't be fooled by a wolf in sheep's clothing," he said. "Edwards has all his people here; we have no one to attack Edwards."

However, many of those bills would have come due prior to the next regularly scheduled council meeting on Dec. 7.

All city department heads were present at the special meeting to answer council's questions about spending; however, when Edwards opened the meeting for questions from council, no questions were asked regarding bills.

In a letter faxed to newspapers after the meeting, Chaney said he felt too intimidated to ask questions because the meeting had seemed so one-sided against himself, Call and Hager. He said the three opposing council members were not allowed the opportunity to ask questions or deliver their side of the event to the crowd at the special meeting, which he called a "public assault" on the three members.

Chaney said the "no" vote was simply an attempt to buy time until the mayor was back in town to answer council's questions about bills, and he presumed the issue would be resolved upon the mayor's return and the bills would be paid.

However, he contends that after Edwards was told of the discussion between himself, Call and Hager prior to last Monday's council meeting, the mayor "went on a witch hunt." Chaney said the three were "like lambs at slaughter" during the special meeting, and that Mayor Edwards is a "glory grabber."

Following Monday's vote to pay bills, Barnes, of the Hurricane Little League board of directors, said he was just glad the bills were going to be paid, because about 1,000 children are involved in the youth league and depend on its continued operation. The ball field concession stand bills were among the most hotly questioned by council.

"The kids are my first interest," Barnes said. "Now, on my PR perspective, the city will have to go into a damage control mode.

"Hopefully, the image crisis has been averted. I'm delighted the mayor called this special meeting and especially delighted council voted to pay the bills. We can only hope the potential for negative outcomes have been averted."

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